Double quick harness release



June 20, 1961 H. J. MORAN DOUBLE QUICK HARNESS RELEASE INVENTOR Harold JMoran 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 30, 1956- BY 7m I 5" ATTOR I s June20, 1961 H. J. MORAN 2,989,274

DOUBLE QUICK HARNESS RELEASE Filed Nov. 50, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 11' 11i 1*; ZZ 22 23 I T" I 2 T 9 58M 29 25 29 29 v 9 9 59 r 25 //3E1 6/ f i56% I f 130% l i 6 i- INVENTOR Jim-old I Moran,

BY fimmwm Us ATTOR S June 20, 1961 H. J. MORAN DOUBLE QUICK HARNESSRELEASE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 30, 1956 LQIITLI--.

June 20, 1961 H. J. MORAN DOUBLE QUICK HARNESS RELEASE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Filed NOV. 30, 1956 INVENTOR.

BY d

United States Patent() 2,989,274 7 DOUBLE QUICK HARNESS Harold J. Moran,Trenton, N.J., assignor to Switlik Parachute Company, Inc., Trenton,N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Nov. 30, 1956, Ser. No. 625,5189 Claims. (Cl. 244-151.)

This invention relates to an aviators divesting harness release.

It is an object of the invention to provide a quick release device bymeans of which the user may'qpickly di cahogyleav- I, i i tral opening19 and having three sockets 20, 21 and 22,

vest himself of the parachute harness and in'g himself entirely free ofboth.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a release whichmay be operated to simultaneously release the shoulder straps and theleg straps of the harness so that the harness will completely fall awayfrom the user.

Additionally, the invention has for an object the posi-' tive securementof the shoulderstrap'sand leg straps upon ice which the harness strapsare releasably secured to said fb'ase plate 15.

the body of the user except when, under manual con trol of the user, therelease device is operated to simultaneously release the leg straps andthe shoulder straps.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means within therelease device which makes it possible to snap into locking position themembers which retain the shoulder straps and leg straps in position onthe user, which means will retain said members in operative positionsand which may be adjusted to positively lock said members in suchpositions and, at the option of the user, to release said members.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawings, I have illustrated a harness with the quickrelease device locked in position thereon and showing the relation ofthe locking or securing members and the shoulder straps and leg straps;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view ofthe release device looking at the sideopposite to that shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an edge view looking down on the release device as' shown inFIGURE 2;

, FIGURE 4 is "a sectional view on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 looking in thedirection of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is a section on line 5-5 of FIGURE 2 looking in thedirection-of the arrows; 7

FIGURE 6 is a section on line 6-6 of FIGURE 5 looking in the directionof the arrows;

FIGURE 7 is a section on line 7-7 of FIGURE 5 looking inthe direction ofthe arrows;

FIGURE 8 is a section on line 8-8 of FIGURE 7 looking in the directionof the arrows;

FIGURE 9 is a section on line 9-9 of FIGURE 3 looking in the directionof the arrows;

FIGURE 10 is a section on line 10-10 of FIGURE 3 looking in thedirection of the arrows;

FIGURE 11 is a section on line 11-11 of FIGURE 3 looking in thedirection of the arrows;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary view in section on the line 12-12 of FIGURE9; and

FIGURE 13 is a view in perspective of a camand stop carrier unit adaptedfor co-operation with releasable web suspending locking and releasingmeans.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the end portions 10 of the suspension websof a check pack are shown as attached to cross bars 11 which-are securedto the quick release device by means which later will be described. Theshoulder or body straps 12 of the harness are attached at their frontends to the release device by connectors or terminal connector fittings1 3 in a manner later to be described, rear end portions thereof beingengaged with rear webs of the harness as, for example in the equipmentshown in Switlik No. 2,180,182 or in Wigley et al. No. 1,899,656. Theleg straps 14 are attached to the re- .As a part of each suchsetandmounted directly on thecover 16 is a spacer 18 (FIGURE 10) having acenaxially aligned with said opening 19 in spacer 18 and with similaropenings in said stripper plate 23 and cover plate,

16, FIGURE 5.

A suspension plate. housing 25 is superimposed on the stripper plate 23and houses the suspension plate 24.

Said base plate '15 and the cover 16 are secured to gether by suitablemeans such as screws 26 and bolts 27 on which latter lugs 28 are formedfor attachment to the" chest pack.

The spacer 18, the stripper plate 23, and the suspension plate housingare all secured together and to the gear housing by bolts 29 and 49. Thebolts 29 carry the cross bars 11 to which the risers or end portions 10of the chest pack suspension webs are attached as heretofore described.

The suspension plate 24 is freely movable within the suspension platehousing 25 in the space between said stripper plate 23 and the.generally flat opposed wall portion of housing 25 and is provided withsuspension lugs or pins 30, 31 and 32, the pins 30, 3-1 and 32 extendingrespectively into the sockets 20, 21 and 22. Each of the pins 30 and 31is provided with an outwardly facing cam face 33'.

All three of these pins extend through adjacent openings in the stripperplate 23 and into the sockets 20, 21 and 22. The suspension pin 32 isnot provided with a cam face and is somewhat longer than the pins 30 and31 and extends into a recess 34 in the gear housing cover The suspensionplate housing 25 has secured thereto a plurality of flat springs 35which normally urge the suspension plate 24 toward the stripper plate23- and the pins 30, 31 and 32 completely across the sockets 2'0, 2'1and 22, which springs are capable of yielding under pressure exerted onthe cam faces 33 of the pins '30 and 31. v 7

One end of each of the flexible connector loops 65 is provided with aferrule or terminal connector fitting 36 which has an aperture thereinthrough which the adjacent pin 32 permanently extends but through whichit is slidable. The other end of each of the connector loops 65 isprovided with a ferrule or terminal connector titting 37 which has anaperture therein adapted to align with the adjacent pin 31 and throughwhich the pin is adapted to slide to disengage this end of the connectorfitting 37. a

The connectors 13 on the shoulder straps 12 are likewise provided withapertures 38 into which the adjacent suspension pin 30 extends andthrough which it is slidable to'disengage the shoulder straps from therelease d v e- Thus, when the connectors 13 on the shoulder straps andboth ends of each of the connectors 65 for the leg straps are attachedto the pins 30, 31 and 32, the harness and the pack will be held on thebody of theuser, but when the connectors 13 are disengaged and theferrules 37 on the connectors 65 are disengaged by the movement of thepins 30 and 31, respectively, against the force of the springs 35, theshoulder straps and the leg straps simultaneously will be released tocompletely divest the user of the harness and pack.

In order that the pins 30 and 31 having the cam faces thereon may beselectively free either to yield as spring latches upon the insertion ofthe connectors 13 and the ferrules 37 of the loops 65 into said sockets20 and 21, respectively, against the resistance of said springs 35 or tobe locked against movement in the sockets 20 and 21, I have provided thefollowing latch or pin actuating mechanism. A rack 39 is movablelongitudinally within a longitudinal recess 39a, FIGURE 11 in base plate15 or the gear housing 15. Adjacent each end of the gear housing is arotatable cam member or carrier 40 which is provided with a gear portion41 extending into a shallow cylindrical recess 41a in base plate 15,Figs. and 11, which opens into said longitudinal recess 39a and throughwhich said gear portion 41 which meshes with the rack 39. Said carrier40 is journaled in the opening 19 in the spacer 18 and the correspondingopenings in the gear housing cover 16 and the stripper plate 23. Each ofthese cam carriers 40 is provided with a plurality of cam blockspresenting inclined cam faces 42, three in the present instance, andabrupt end faces 43. At the upper or higher end of each incline 42, asseen in FIGURE 8, is a short dwell face 44; and at the lower end of saidincline is a longer face one portion of which, as 44a, lies adjacent theend face 43; and another portion of which, as 44b, adjoins the lower endof incline 42.

Rigid with each cam carrier 40 and keyed to the outer end of shaft 40,FIGURE 9, is a safety locking member 45 in the form of a plate spacedfrom said inclined faces 42 and dwell faces 44 which is provided withradially extending stop lugs 46. Each of these stop lugs 46 is in fixedangular position to come opposite a portion 44a of the normal outer orcam face of carrier 40 which lies at one side of and adjacent to theabrupt end face 43 of said cam blocks. The cam carrier 40 extends intothe central opening in the suspension plate 24 and rotates therein underthe action of the gear and rack; and the safety locking member 45 andits lugs 46 are normally, as when the suspension pins 30 are pressed bythe springs 35 to their position as shown in FIGURE 5, located in thespace 47 between the suspension plate housing and the suspension plate24.

Each suspension plate 24 is provided with lugs 48 extending radiallyinward in the central opening in plate 24 and which are complemental tothe lugs 46 in the sense that in one angular i.e. latch releasingposition of cam carrier 40 and hence of the radial stop lugs 46 thereon,the inwardly extending radial lugs 48 on plate 24 are angularly offsettherefrom sufliciently to extend between lugs 46 and thereby permitunlatching or outward movement of plate 24 and are capable of beingaligned with or disaligned from the latter lugs upon the rotation of thecam carrier 40.

Adjacent one end of the gear housing is a rotatable gear 50 which iskeyed to a shaft 51 having its hearings in the gear housing 15 and inthe gear housing cover 16. A control handle or actuating lever 52 issecured to the shaft 51 so that the rotation of the shaft and of thegear 50 may be manually accomplished.

This handle has three fundamental positions, 53, 54 and 55. It is lockedin any desired one of these positions by a pawl 56 which is urged intooperative position in a corresponding notch by a spring 57 but which maybe locked out of operative or notch engaging position by moving the rod58 on which the pawl is mounted against the action of the spring androtating the finger piece 58' until the lug 59 rests upon the shoulder60. In operation, when it is desired to insert the connectors 13 intothe sockets 20 and the ferrules or fittings 37 into the sockets 21, thecontrol handle 52 is moved into position 54 and may be locked in thisposition by rotating the finger piece 58 until the lug 59 moves from itsunlocking position on shoulder 60 into locking position in notch 61 atwhich time the spring 57 will urge the pawl 56 into the notch 54' atposition 54 thereby releasably locking the parts against any movement ofthe rack 39 or of the cam carriers 40 but leaving the plate 24 free toyield against resistance of said springs 35.

When the handle is in this middle or connector receiving position, thepins 30 and 31 will extend completely across the sockets 20 and 21because the suspension plate 24 is at this time urged by the springs 35away from the suspension plate housing 25. Thus, end edge portions ofthe connectors 13 and the ferrules 37 may be forced against the camfaces 33 on the pins 30 and 31 and through pressure on these cam faceswill move the suspension plate 24 against the action of the springs 35until the apertures in the connectors and ferrules align with the pins30 and 31 at which time said pins, under the influence of the springs35, will snap back into strap retaining position in said apertures andthe shoulder straps and leg straps may not thereafter be disconnectedfrom said lugs 30 and 31 without manual movement of the handle 52.

The above described movement of the suspension plate 24 againstresistance of the springs 35 is permitted, because at this time i.e.with the handle 52 in the 54 position, FIGURE 2, the lugs 46 will be outof radial alignment with lugs 48.

In order that the suspension pins 30 and 31 may be positively lockedagainst any possible unintentional withdrawal from the sockets 20 and 21with the consequent accidental release of the shoulder straps and legstraps, the control handle may be moved into detent locking position 53,full lines, FIGURE 2. In adjusting to this posi* tion, the cam carriers40 will be rotated, and with them the terminal locking lugs 46, untilthe latter come opposite outer faces of the complemental lugs 48 on thesuspension plates 24 or, in effect, overlie the lugs 48. With the partsrelatively positioned as just described, the suspension plate 24 will belocked i.e. stopped by pins 46 against outward or releasing movement,and the suspension lugs or pins '30 and 31 will be locked in the sockets20 and 21.

When, however, it is desired to release the shoulder straps and the legstraps, the handle is moved into posi' tion 55. The movement of thishandle into this position will rotate the cam members 40 and the camfaces 42 will engage the lugs 48 on the suspension plate and move thesuspension plate outwardly or toward the suspension plate housing 25against the action of the springs 35 until the dwell faces 44 come underlugs 48. This movement of the suspension plate 24 will, of course,withdraw the suspension pins 30 and 31, respectively, from the sockets20 and 21 and thereby effect rapid and automatic release of the fittings13 on the shoulder straps 12 and the fittings 37 on the connectormembers 65 from said suspension lugs or keepers 30 and 31. When thisrelease occurs, the user will be entirely divested of the harness andthe pack.

During the withdrawal movement of these suspension pins 30 and 31 fromtheir corresponding sockets, the suspension pins 32 to which the loops65 are permanently attached will move with the suspension plate 24, butbecause their length is greater than that of pins 30 and 31, they willnot be withdrawn from the fittings 36 on the adjacent ends of the loops65 nor will they be completely withdrawn from the openings in the gearhousing cover 16 through which they extend. This arrangement insures thepermanent and secure attachment of one end of each of the leg harnessconnecting loops 65 to the harness release assembly unit.

As seenmore clearly in FIGURE 11, the rack 39 is of such length inrelation to its groove or channel 39a which is closed by end walls 39band 390 at both ends, that the extent of endwise thrust of said rack inone direction, i.e. left FIGURE 11, is limited by wall 3%; and wall 390limits the extent of endwise thrust of said rack toward the right. Whenthe rack is in the left hand position, as shown, the carrier plate is inlocked condition and when said rack is in the right hand position thecarrier plate is in released condition. Thus, with the extent of endwisemovement of rack 39 positively limited in both directions, there is nooverrun or bind when lever 52 is moved violently into either of its endpositions.

1. I claim:

1. A safety lock and quickrelease connector for parachute harness havingbody straps, leg straps and flexible leg strap retaining loops, saidloops and said body straps having terminal apertured fittings, saidconnector comprising in combination a base plate, two suspension pincarriers each mounting a set of pins adapted to engage and to bedisengaged from said apertured fittings, actuating means forsimultaneously moving said carriers and said sets of pins mountedthereon including a rack slidably mounted on said base plate, a manuallyoperable lever fulcrumed on said base plate, a rack driving gearconnection between said lever and said rack, means operativelyinterposed between said rack and each of said pin carriers wherebyfitting engaging and disengaging movements of said carriers and bothsets of pins are effected simultaneously by operation of said lever, andwherein each of said sets of suspension pins includes one which islonger than the others of said set, and a terminal fitting at one end ofeach loop is engaged with said longer pin to retain said loop endsecurely in locked relation to said connector device independently oflocking and releasing movements of the pin carrier.

2. In a safety lock and quick release connector for a parachute harnesscomprising body straps and leg straps having apertured terminalfittings, the combination of a base plate having a longitudinal grooveand longitudinally spaced recesses open at one side face thereof, eachof said recesses having a peripheral opening into said groove, two pincarriers each operatively mounted on said base plate opposite one ofsaid spaced recesses and each carrying a set of suspension pins arrangedand adapted to be engaged by said fittings, actuating means forsimultaneously moving said pin carriers and said pins to and fromdifferent operative positions including a rack mounted to slidelongitudinally in said groove, a cover plate secured against an innerface of said base plate and arranged to cover the open side of saidgroove and retain said rack laterally therein and having longitudinallyspaced openings in register with said recesses, a manually operatedlever which is gear connected to impart endwise reciprocating movementto the rack in said groove, two rotatable cam carriers journaled in saidspaced openings of said cover plate and each having angularly spacedstop and cam members arranged in operative relation to said pincarriers, a gear operatively connecting each cam carrier with said rackto actuate said cams and thereby said pin carriers, a housing secured tosaid base plate in position to present a covering wall opposite to andspaced from each said pin carrier, and spring means operativelyinterposed between an inner face of said housing and an outer face ofeach said pin carrier normally to bias said pin carrier and the pinsthereon toward operative position for retaining said terminal fittings.

3. The combination of elements recited in claim 2 and each of said cammembers having a cam positioned to bear against an underside of oneportion of said pin carrier to move the same outwardly past said stopmember to effect retractive releasing movement of said pins, said stopmember being in fixed spaced relation to said cam" face and angularlyofiset therefrom and movable angularly with said cam member and said camcarrier to and from position opposite the upper side of said portion ofthe pin carrier and thereby to obstruct outward pin releasing movementof said suspension pin carrier to lock saidterminal fittings securely tosaid connector device.

4'. The combination of elements recited in claim 2 and wherein eachofsaid sets of suspension pins includes one which is longer than theothers of said set, and one terminal fitting is permanently engaged withsaid longer pin to retain said end securely in locked relation to saidconnector device independently of locking and releasing movement of thepin carrier.

5. The combination of elements recited in claim 2 and wherein each pincarrier has spaced radially arranged abutments extending inwardly fromthe perimeter toward the axis of an opening through said pin carrier,and a rotatable cam and lock carrier is mounted coaxially with saidopening, cam members mounted on said rotatable cam and lock carrier atone side of said pin carrier and lock members extending radially fromsaid rotatable cam and lock carrier at the other side of said pincarrier, said cam and lock carrier being rotatable to and from aposition wherein its lock members come opposite said pen carrierabutments to lock said pin carrier against releasing movement of thepins in relation to said terminal fittings and to and from a positionwherein said cam members ride against said pin carrier abutments to movesaid carrier outwardly and thereby to retract said pins from suspendingengagement with said terminal fittings.

6. In a quick release harness strap connecting device for use withparachute harness wherein body straps each having an apertured terminalconnector fitting are interconnected through said device with leg strapseach of which is interengaged with a leg strap retaining loop having anapertured connector fitting at each end and wherein said terminalfittings including one on each loop may be released simultaneously fromsaid device, the combination of a housing, two connector fittingengaging and releasing assemblies and a manually actuated device carriedby said housing for simultaneously controlling the operation of saidassemblies each of which includes a suspension pin for releasableengagement with a body strap terminal connector fitting, a suspensionpin for releasable engagement with a loop terminal connector fitting,and a suspension pin carrier normally spring biased to retain saidsuspension pins yieldingly in extended connector fitting engagingposition and having an opening into which spaced lugs extend from itsdefining edge, said manually operated control device including arotatable cam and stop carrier provided with angularly spaced cams andangularly spaced stops and arranged coaxially with each said pincarrier, said stops being in fixed angularly offset relation to pincarrier actuating surfaces of said cams and adapted for angularadjustment therewith to different operative positions in relation tosaid lugs on said carrier whereby in one of said positions said lugscome between said cams and said stops whereby pin retracting movement ofsaid carrier is prevented by the stops, in another of said positionssaid lugs come opposite dwell portions of said cams which are angularlyoffset from said stops whereby retracting movement of said carrier iseffected by pressing against beveled end portions of said pins therebypermitting engagement of a connector fitting with a suspension pinthereon, and, in a third of said positions said lugs are engaged by saidcams and displaced in a direction to elTect, pin retracting and strapconnector releasing movement of the pin carrier, and manually actuatedmeans operatively connected with said stops and said cams to impartangular movement thereto to and from said several positions ofadjustment in relation to said spaced lugs of the pin carrier.

7. Device according to claim 6 and wherein said cam and stop carrier isjournaled in the housing, an operating lever, and a rack and gearconnection is efiectively positioned between said lever and said cam andstop carrier to impart angular movement thereto with angular movement ofsaid lever whereby said cams and stops are ad justed to and from saidseveral operative positions.

8. Device according to claim 6 and wherein free end portions of some ofsaid suspension pins are beveled to provide a camming face on each suchpin in position to be pressed aside by a connector fitting appliedthereto whereby with the parts in said second angular position of thecam carrier the apertured portion of said connector fitting passes topin engaging position.

9. Device according to claim 6 and wherein the cam and stop carrier isactuated by an operating lever and a rack operativcly interposed betweensaid lever and the 8 carrier, said rack being mounted for limitedlongitudinal sliding movement between end positions in one of which thecam and stop carrier .is in locking position and in the other of whichsaid carrier is in releasing position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,177,927 Calthrop Apr. 4, 1916 1,899,656 Wigley et a]. Feb. 28, 19332,180,182 Switlik Nov. 14, 1939 t FOREIGN PATENTS 151,020 Australia Apr.22, 1953 361,859 Great Britain Nov. 18, 1931 389,437

Great Britain June 8, 1931 Patent N0 238% 274 Mme 20 1961 Harald L MoranIt is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered pat antrequiring correction and that the said Lstbsrs Patent should read ascorrected below.

Column 6 line 2? for "pen" read pin line 31; after said inserts pinSigned and sealed .this 9th day of January 1962.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER DAVID L. LADD Attsting Officer Commissioner of Patents

